Why Congress Can Add Flights to D.C.’s Busiest Airport
Reagan National Airport is getting five new long-haul flights — thanks to Congress.
Why it matters: With recent near misses and warnings about more delays, you might wonder why Congress controls the airport in the first place.
The gist: Uniquely, Congress established National and Dulles International Airport, and later in 1987 delegated management to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
- And while MWAA was staunchly against adding more flights to National, Congress is the decider.
Catch up fast: Flights out of DCA are limited to a 1,250-mile radius, which restricts the number of nonstop routes to the West.
- Yes, but: Over the decades, Congress has made exceptions.
And while members of Congress from around the Beltway opposed the latest additions, a group led by Delta Airlines ultimately convinced out-of-town lawmakers that the airport could handle the new load.
- One reason: Members of Congress want direct flights back home.
State of play: The carriers applied for the following routes:
- American Airlines to San Antonio
- United Airlines to San Francisco
- Delta to Seattle
- Southwest to Las Vegas
- Alaska Airlines to San Diego
- Jet Blue to San Juan
- Frontier to San Juan
- Spirit to San Jose
Read the full article from Axios HERE
